Took the long road
by cassiemortmain
Summary: On the night before the battle that could end the world, Arya finds Gendry and asks him for what she wants. He gives it to her. Episode 8.02, missing moments fic.


**Took the long road**

"Arya, I…"

She launches herself at him, her mouth crashing into his, her teeth grazing his lip. Grabbing his face, stroking his neck. Kissing him fiercely, eagerly.

The wolf cub he's always known, grown into a woman who takes his breath away.

A rush of blood to his head as he wraps his arms around her, returning her kisses, pulling her closer, always closer.

They fumble to remove each other's clothes, his forehead pressing against hers, hands pulling at cloaks, belts, jackets. So many layers to defeat the cold of the North and prepare for the battle to come, falling unheeded to the floor.

A delighted chuckle escapes her lips, a delight he shares. For a moment, they're best friends again, smiling, excited, telling each other… _look, look what's happening, it's really happening_… Both unafraid to let the other know how much they want this.

She pulls his shirt up and over his head, throwing it to one side. He moves towards her, putting his hand on the back of her head to kiss her again. But then she surprises him, pushing him backwards onto the pile of sacks. And he can't help remembering that other time she'd done the same thing, in a very different place.

He looks up at her as she takes off her clothes, his eyes skimming her body as she reveals it to him, a body soft as silk, strong as steel. He sees the curve of her waist, the shadow between her breasts, but what draws his gaze are the scars on her side.

_What could have caused those? What has she been doing all these years? _ _I should never have left her, should have protected her, should have looked for her…_

His eyes softening, his breath slowing, staring as she flicks her hair back over her shoulders. Confident in herself, secure in her power. Power he gladly surrenders himself to.

She steps forward and leans down, moving to lie on top of him. Her hand rests by his face, touching his cheek. Her own eyes soften in the darkness, glittering stone to still water, then they close as she lowers her mouth onto his.

Her hair falling around them, her breasts pressed to his chest, her hands coming to rest behind his neck. Her tongue pushing past his lips, seeking his, a deep uncoiling in his belly. His arms around her, her skin smooth under his hands, so smooth in all this roughness. Kisses soft, slow, deep, as if they had all the time in the world.

And then the world itself is gone. All that exists, all that has ever been, reduced to this room, this bed, this embrace.

* * *

Her body's tense, trembling at his touch as his hands run down her back.

"Arya, tell me… what do you want?"

"Everything, I want everything…" she murmurs against his lips.

He wraps his arms around her, gently rolling her over. His eyes ask the question – "is this all right?" – and receiving her assent, he starts to kiss her neck, her shoulders. Coming to her breasts, touching them with reverence, fingers smoothing, lips caressing.

He reaches her side. He doesn't say anything, he just puts his mouth on her scars, tracing gentle kisses along them, all along them. For now, what matters most is to let her know that he thinks they are beautiful, because they are part of her. The rest will come later, if she wants it to.

He hears her let out a ragged breath as he moves lower, his lips running along the edge of her rib cage and down to her belly. His hands hold her narrow waist as his tongue traces the contours of her navel, then moves further down still. Her skin warm under his kisses, tasting of linen and leather, sharp and sweet, a flavour that is all _her_.

He looks up at her again. She's staring at him, eyes wide, glistening with a strange light he's never seen before as she nods. Wanting him to keep going.

So he moves down between her thighs, running his hands along the smooth skin he finds there, a trail of kisses leading upwards, finding a path to the very core of her. His mouth on her clit, touching it, hearing her gasp.

"Oh, yes, that's… oh, yes…"

Her body opening, softening, welcoming his touch. He circles her clit, flicking, sucking, tongue and lips keeping up a steady rhythm, finding the stroke that seems to please her the most. His hands reaching up, holding her hips and pressing down gently to keep her in position.

Her breathing is rough now, and when he looks up at her she is starting to arch her back, her hands grabbing the sacks that have become their bed.

"Gendry, oh… don't stop…"

He takes his finger and slides it inside her, as he pushes his mouth more deeply into her. A few more firm movements of his tongue, and she explodes into sparks and ashes, a flare streaking across the night sky. She calls out his name once more, her voice breaking, her fingers digging into his shoulders.

He keeps his mouth on her as she comes down, comes back to herself. Then he feels her trying to pull him back up to her.

He does what she asks, lying beside her, wrapping his arms around her.

"Was that all right?"

She stares at him, running her fingers down his cheek. "What do you think? You idiot, it was more than… it was, I didn't know…"

She kisses him again, humming at the base of her throat, sliding her hands down his back. When the kiss breaks, her face is flushed in a way he's not seen for a long time. The day she fought to keep him with her, the day he was taken away.

* * *

"Can we, can I…" She rolls on top of him. "I don't know what… can you show me?"

He smiles. "Try sitting up, put your legs like… yes, that's… oh Gods, yes, that's it."

His body waking up, responding to her, nothing hidden from her now. She looks down, then back at him, one eyebrow raised.

"So that's what all the fuss is about, Gendry of House Baratheon."

He feels his cheeks go warm as her eyes run along the length of his cock. He's hard, so hard he's having trouble keeping himself in control. She touches its tip with one finger, sees him tremble this time.

"Help me…I don't know what…"

He grasps her hips, lifts her up, feels himself rising to meet her. She's light on top of him, as if she might float away if he didn't hold onto her.

"Oh, I can feel… is this…"

She moves above him, then pushes herself down, her eyes screwed shut.

"Does it hurt?"

"I've known pain, this… no, it feels, I feel… ohhh…"

And he's inside her, all the way inside her. Her body drawing him in, tight, hot, wet. Filling her in a way that he's never… it has _never_ been like this before.

She starts to move, storm-tossed eyes locked with his. At first, he guides her, helping her settle into a cadence they can share. Then, she gets the feel of it and begins moving on her own, taking the lead.

She leans down to him, kissing his neck, biting him there, running her fingers over the hard muscles of his arms and chest as she rocks her hips back and forth.

Then she sits up again, rising above him like a goddess of the hunt, all flame, all light. Skin gleaming, head flung back, hands reaching towards the ceiling as she goes faster. An unearthly sight he feels privileged to witness.

"Oh, oh, oh… Gendry, help me, hold…"

His hands on her hips, trying to keep control for them both, doing all he can to hold himself back. Needing to bring her with him. Possessing and possessed in equal measure.

But then the heat rushes up his spine and out the top of his head. Stars bursting behind his eyes, blood pounding in his ears. Soaring upwards into the heart of the fire, her fire.

He comes to orgasm and it's like a floodtide all through him. He groans her name, reaching up to touch her.

She's strung tight as a bow, gasping for breath. He can feel her core contracting around him, wringing him dry. Then she falls down beside him, moving closer, into his arms.

She nuzzles his neck, her hair tickling his ear, her nails scoring his skin. Marking him as her own, as he always has been, even without knowing it.

He cups the back of her head, lifting her face back up to his. They kiss again, and he can't stop kissing her. Her allure even more powerful now, after their joining.

His hands move down her side, along the edges of her breasts to settle at her waist, pulling her into him, twining her legs with his. The boundaries of their bodies melting, blurring. Touching everywhere, bare skin clinging to bare skin. Not even a glimmer of light between them.

"I knew as soon as I saw you again, but I never dreamed…"

"I know, me too. Now shut up and kiss me…"

More kisses as their hearts slow, sweat cools.

"Well, now you know…"

She nods, one finger to her bottom lip. Another echo of the playful wolf cub in her raised eyebrow.

"How long do we have to wait?"

"What?"

"Until we can do that again."

* * *

Afterwards, he climbs off their bed and picks up his cloak from the floor to pull it over them both. She looks at him, her eyes like flint, unreadable, as he covers her and slides back in beside her.

"Don't worry. We'll hear the alarm when it's time… rest, who knows when we'll get the chance again…"

"I don't sleep, not any more…"

Instead, she curls up against his back, wrapping her arms around him. Even though he doesn't want to, he feels his eyes closing, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

When the horns begin to sound, signalling the alarm, he wakes quickly, sitting up, hands reaching out for her.

But she's scrambling out from under his cloak, reaching for her discarded clothes, looking for the weapon he made for her. Already staring out of the door, already on her way to leaving him.

"Arya, wait a minute…"

She turns around. He knows he's looking at her the same way as he had the night before. As if she were the most precious thing in the world. He can't help it.

She sits down on the bed, moves closer, puts her hand on his face. "I have to go. Jon and Sansa will be waiting for me, I need…"

"If we don't, I mean… I have to say it in case…"

Her eyes shine, this time with tears, tears which spill down her cheeks. For a moment, she opens her heart to him. "Don't, don't say it. I will see you again. I have to…"

He takes her chin in his hand, kissing her mouth gently, tasting her tears. His soul pouring from his eyes into hers.

"We both know what the world can be. You more than most. And I don't want to miss this chance to tell you… Arya, I…"

She's in his arms again, clinging to him, stopping his mouth with rough kisses. "Tell me later, all right? Don't say it. Not now, Gendry, please. Because then I…"

His eyes widen. Catching her hand in his as she stands up, kissing her palm.

"As you wish, milady," he whispers as she leaves without looking back.

* * *

_Author's note_

Thank you for reading! I'd love to hear what you think.

I've been posting fics here for several years now for another ship (which I still love), but this is my first Gendrya fic. I recently posted it on the *other site*, just after 8.02, back when we were all so excited about what happened. (Oh, those happy days.)

Now, post-canon, I still can't stop thinking about this scene. And I am not the only one, based on what I am seeing on Tumblr. ;) So I wanted to share it with the lovely community over here too.

I'm still writing for them - at the moment, they are really inspiring me. So stay tuned for more...


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